Bow rest and clamping device.



HARRY B. WHITE, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GILLIAIVI MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BOW BEST AND CLAMPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1917.

Original application filed October 21, 1915,.Seria1 No. 57,081. Divided and this application filed April 29, 1916. Serial No. 94,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Bow Rest and Clamping Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bow rests and clamping devices adapted for supporting and clamping the bows of a vehicle top in the folded position. In the ordinary forms of how rests such as are in use at present it is'necessary to provide spacing lugs, either on the bow rest. or upon the bows themselves, for the purpose of spacing and separately supporting the several bows. The present application is a division of my application Serial No. 57,081, for patent on bow rest and clamping device, filed October 21, 1915, and the invention herein claimed resides in the bow rest and clamping device provided with the clamping shoe for separately clamping and supporting the upper bow.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved bow rest and clamping device which will support the lowermost bowof the vehicle top, and separately support and clamp the uppermost bow in "the proper position, the provision of spacing lugs for separately supporting and spacing the several bows being unnecessary either upon the bow rest orthe bows.

A further object is. to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient device of the character referred to which may be easily and readily operated to clamp or unclamp the bows.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in'the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. i

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bow rest and clamping device constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the same in a clamped position,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device in the opened position.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring more-especially to the construc tion illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the supporting rod or stock 1 is provided with the attaching socket 2, a set screw 8 being provided therein for attaching the stock to the usual bracket provided upon automobiles and similar vehicles for the purpose of attaching the bow rest and clamp ingdevice. A rest member 4; is provided at the lower extremity of the supporting rod, said rest member being of channel form to accommodate the lowermost bow of the top, a pad 5 of leather, rubber or other suitable material being provided upon the upper face of said rest member for the purpose of preventing the lower bow from becoming marred or scratched by contact with said rest member. I

The stock or supporting arm is preferably of T-shapein cross section, the upper extremity thereof being of channel form as indicated at 6, an ear 7 being formed at the upper extremity of said stock for the purpose of pivotally attaching the clamping shoe 8 thereto by means of a pin 9. The clamping shoe comprises the curved portion 10 which is preferably curved outwardly at its free extremity as indicated at 11, suitable ears 12 being provided at the upper, pivoted extremity of the clamping shoe and adapted to be spaced upon each side of the ear 7. A shoulder 13 is formed upon the clamping shoe and arranged to contact with the inner face of the stock when the device is in the clamped position asshown in Fig. 1, and a flat portion 1 1 is provided upon said clamping shoe and adapted to contact with the shoulder 15 formed upon the upper extremity of the supporting rod when the device is in the opened position as shown in Fig. 2. A curved rib 16 is formed upon the convex face of the clamping shoe and a pad 17 of leather, rubber or similar material is attached to the 'concaved face thereof to prevent the upper body from becoming marred by contact therewith. V

The operating handle 18 is provided at its upper extremity with an angularly disposed arm 19, which is located between the ears of the clamping shoe, a pin 20 being passed through said ears and said arm for the purpose of pivotally mounting said handle upon said clamping shoe. A barrel 21 is formed near the upper extremity of the operating lever, said barrel being provided with a slot 22 adapted to receive one extremity of the the spring link 23, said link being slightly curved, the lower extremity thereof being pivotallyconnected to the channel portion 6 of the stock. When the link is placed in position as described, the upper edges of the slot 22 may be squeezed together as indicated at 24. The operating handle is provided with a groove 25 adapted to receive the rib 16 of the clamping shoe when the parts are in the clamped position, preventing any side movement of the shoe or handle with relation to each other, thus binding the parts tightly together.

When it is desired to clamp the bows in the above described device the lever is thrown into the open position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, moving theclamping shoe beyond the vertical plane of the inner face of the stock 1. The bows are then lowered, the lowermost bow resting within theconcaved rest member 4. The handle is then operated to bring the clamping shoe into engagement with the uppermost bow clamping the shoe against the uppermost bow and as the link 23 passes over the center the handle will be held tightly in position, the groove 25 therein receiving the curved web 26 upon the clamping shoe. As the link is formed of spring material it will thus hold the handle firmly in the clamped position.

It will be noted that as the clamping shoe is operated by means of the handle, said shoe automatically forces the uppermost bow downwardly into the position and clamps said bow against side movement. 16 upon the clamping shoe being received within the groove 25 upon the handle as said handle is moved into the clamped position and binds the shoe and handle together while in the clamped position preventing any side movement of said members with relation to each other. The uppermost bow of the top is thus separately supported and clamped in position while the lowermost bow is supported and held in position within the concave rest member, the intervening bow assuming the proper position between said upper and lower bows. With this construction no spacing lugs upon the bows themselves or supporting or spacing members upon the bow rests and clamping device are necessary. As is well understood by those versed in the construction of vehicle topsas are commonly used upon automobiles and the like, each top consistsof a plurality of bows hingedly connected at their lower extremities upon each side of the vehicle The rib body, each bow being connected at its upper extremity to the corresponding bow upon the opposite side of the vehicle by means of a bar or rod extending across the top. Thus the natural tendency of each bow is to spring outwardly away from the vehicle body as bows as well as their connecting rods are formed of spring material or of material of a slightly springy nature. \Vhen the bows of the top are folded down into the closed position the top bow of the set must be forced down considerably in order to bc clamped within the bow rest and clamping device. With the ordinary forms of how rests and clamping devices it is necessary to force this upper bow down with one hand while the clamping device is operated with the other hand to hold the bows in the folded position. lVith the present bow rest and clamping device embodying the invention disclosed in this application it is not necessary for the operator to draw the bows down by hand, the bows are merely lowered until the lower bow rests upon the rest member, after which the operating handle is moved downwardly, swinging the clamping shoe 10 downwardly into contact with the uppermost bow of the set and forcing said upper bow downwardly as well as inwardly,

and when the operating lever is moved to J the limit of its downward movement, the bows are clamped in the closed position, the upper bow, due to the springy nature of the bows and the construction above pointed out, being forced. outwardly against the clamping shoe and resting upon the inturned extremity 17 thereof. The bows are thus quickly and easily forced into the clamped position and held in this position by the action of the operating handle and clamping shoe, the spring link 23 holding said parts in the clamped position until the operating handle is again raised to release the bows.

Although the drawings and above specification disclose the best mode in which I have contemplated embodying my invention I desire to be not limited to the details of such disclosure, for, in the further practical application of my invention, many changes in form and construction may be made, as circumstances require or experience suggests, without departing from the spirit of the invention, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a supporting rod, a rest member carried at the lower extremity of said rod and adapted to support the lowermost bow of a set of top bows, a curved clamping shoe pivotally mounted upon the upper extremity of said supporting rod and arranged to separately support and clamp the uppermost bow of the set, an operating handle pivotally mounted upon said clamping shoe and a spring link connecting said supporting rod and said handle and arranged to hold said shoe in the clamped position when said handle is operated.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a supporting rod, a rest member carried at the lower extremity of said rod and adapted to support the lowermost bow of a set of top bows, a curved clamping shoe pivotally mounted upon the upper extremity of said supporting rod and arranged to separately support and clamp the uppermost bow of the set, an operatlng handle pivotally mounted upon said clamping shoe and a spring link connected to said supporting rod and said operating handle and, arranged to hold said shoe in the clamped position when said handle is operated.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a supporting rod, 2. rest member carried at the lower extremity of said rod and adapted to support the lowermost bow of a set of top bows, a curved clamping shoe pivotally mounted upon the upper extremity of said supporting rod and arranged to separately support and clamp. the uppermost bow of the set and a spring link connected to said supporting rod and said clamping shoe and arranged to hold said shoe in the clamped position.

4:. A device of the character described, comprising a supporting rod, a rest member carried at the lower extremity of said rod for supporting the lowermost bow of a set of top bows, a pivoted clamping shoe mounted upon the upper extremity of said rod for forcing downwardly and inwardly and separately supporting the uppermost bow of the set, an operating handle pivotall connected to said clamping shoe and a linfi connecting said operating handle and said supporting rod.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a supporting rod, a rest member carried at the lower extremity of said rod for supporting the lowermost bow of a set of top bows, a pivoted clamping shoe mounted upon the upper extremity of said rod for forcing downwardly and inwardly and separately supporting the uppermost bow of the set, a spring link connected to said supporting rod and an operating handle connected to said spring link and arranged to contact with said clamping shoe for moving said shoe into clamped position.

6. A device of the character described comprising a supporting rod, a rest member carried at the lower extremity of said rod and adapted to support the lowermost bow of a set of top bows, a curved clamping shoe pivotally mounted upon the extremity of said supporting rod and arranged to operatively support and clamp the uppermost bow of the set, an operating handle pivotally mounted upon said clamping shoe and provided with a groove upon its inner face, a spring link connected to said supporting rod and said operatinghandle and arranged to hold said shoe in the clamped position when the handle is operated and a rib formed upon said clamping shoe and arranged to engage the groove in said operating handle when the parts are in the clamped position.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HARRY B. WHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

